On your first visit we will discuss your medical history with the aim of finding information useful in determining causes and best treatment for you. We will record among other things
- Past Medical History including major illnesses, any previous surgery or operations, any current ongoing illness such as arthritis or diabetes.
- Family and childhood diseases.
- Allergies.
- Activities that may impact health such as smoking, drinking, occupation or sports.
- Current medication.
- Present medical condition of heart, lungs and other similar body systems.
We will ask how your symptoms started and what makes them fluctuate. After discussing the location and type of pain we will use a hand-on approach to further diagnose the cause of your pain. Pain that occurs in one area is often the consequence of a problem in another part of the body. Depending on what we find this will involve
- Checking posture, alignment, gait and/or imbalance in body structure.
- Tests for correct range of movement in the area affected as well as in other areas.
- Testing for trapped nerves.
- Examination of muscles for tightness.
- Assessing interaction between different areas and determine the position of bones.
- Checks for signs of weakness, tender areas or changes in feeling.
- A check for arthritis.
During the examination we will look for
- Swelling.
- Change in colour.
- Deformity in joints.
- Signs of infection.
- Something more serious.
If indicated we will recommend a blood test, an X-ray or other scan.
Once we can make a diagnosis a treatment plan will be explained as well as how many treatment sessions you will require and what to expect afterwards.
A more detailed descripton on diagnosis and the treatment we offer for different conditions is in our Where Do You Hurt section.